Harry Runs
by lognar1525
Summary: Harry has an accident with a timeturner and is caught inside a 30 minute loop. Trying to reach Dumbledore he has to deal with his friends ans enemies on the way. in progress
1. Prologue

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Disclaimer:

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The characters and locations used in this story are the property of J.K.Rowling and/or Warner Bros. The storyline is based on a challenge by 'pok' on the Portkey Forums ). This is a work of fanfiction and no money is being made with it, so please don't sue me.

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**AN:** The story is written from Harry's POV as a first person narrative. There are three markings used in the text:  
( ) - This is where the reader is directly adressed.  
_italic_ - Denotes Harry's thoughts at that moment in the story.  
" " - Well, that's spoken out loud. guess you knew that though ;)

I hope I havn't confused you. ... Oh, and please review I'd really like to improve this story.

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Harry Runs or The Longest Halfhour in the Life of a Teenage Wizard

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**Prologue -- A Delightful Afternoon**

After wolfing down my dinner I rushed to the Room of Requirement to train. I wanted to train this afternoon - as I had told Hermione leaving the Common Room, but unfortunately I ran into Peeves. He waylaid me when I was on a hidden staircase few people ever use except as a shortcut between the seventh and the second floor. As I was climbing the stairs Peeves had the delightful idea to pelt me with waterballoons ... filled with wizarding ink of various colors! I was drenched to the bone in all colours imaginable some of them even flashing - THANKS PEEVES just what I needed a 'relaxing' afternoon locked away in a bathroom and scrubbing myself raw with 'Mrs Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover'!

Even now I hadn't much time on my hands, but I intended to make good use of my timeturner. (That's right folks I got myself a timeturner, oh and don't ask how I got it. I could tell you of course, but I would have to wipe your memory afterwards! Well, that's life.) So after impatiently pacing the seventh floor corridor near the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy three times thinking of a nice place to train a solid door made of oak with a brass knob appeared. Upon entering I found a large room with an empty space in the center. Along one wall various kinds of targets were lined up, while the opposite wall was lined with bookcases stuffed with every Defence Against the Dark Arts book imaginable and a nice cosy couch and table. The wall opposite the door contained four large windows all of which showed different sceneries. On both sides of the door were courtained alcoves that turned out to hold all sorts of weapons like swords, morningstars, tridents, nets and so on. I decided to use them some other time and took out the timeturner. Everything around me went blurry when I turned the hourglass around a few times.

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	2. Chapter 1: Hermione

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Disclaimer:

**

* * *

The characters and locations used in this story are the property of J.K.Rowling and/or Warner Bros. The storyline is based on a challenge by 'pok' on the Portkey Forums ). This is a work of fanfiction and no money is being made with it, so please don't sue me.

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Harry Runs or The Longest Halfhour in the Life of a Teenage Wizard

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**Chapter 1 -- Hermione**

Several hours earlier, just after I putting the timeturner back into my robes I heard footsteps nearing the door. Then door was opend rather forcefully _ouch_ directly into my face. I heard a crunching noise and felt something sharp being pushed into my stomach. 

"Harry are you ..." I heard Hermione start before she rushed over to where I was lying on the floor feeling slightly dazed and trying to decide which part of me hurt more. My stinging nose, my stomach with the unidentified sharp object embedded or my back as the door had slammed me against the wall. (Of course, there had to be a particularly jagged stone protruding where I hit the wall - it couldn't have been somewhere else.) 

"Harry, are you okay?" asked the fuzzy brown being that was hovering above me in Hermiones voice. (Did I mention that I'm literally blind without my glasses?) 

"I'm ... I'm okay. It's nothing really! Don't worry Hermione you didn't hurt me. Erm ... have you seen my glasses?" I replied bravely. (Afterall I HAVE been much worse.) 

"Sorry Harry I didn't see you." Hermiones voice apologized. "... Ah there are your glasses. Just a second Harry. ... Oculus reparo! ... Here you go, they're as good as new." 

_Isn't she great! Err ... what? Well, at least I could see now. And anyway what's a little pain ... umm ... hmm ... seems like I can't get up!_ "Thanks Hermione. Erm ... could you help me up?" 

"Oh, of course!" she said an held her hand out to me. Surprisingly she managed to get me to my feet on the first try. (Yeah and I managed to steady myself against the wall before collapsing at her feet the second she let go of me.) _It's just not the time to worship her on my knees. Huh? ... What the ... First I've to find out what's embedded in my stomach, then I want to be able to stand on my feet again - preferably WITHOUT leaning againgst this protruding stone - and then ... I'll think of that when I get there._

So while I was busy sorting through my robes completely forgetting my best friend, who was afterall standing right in front of me ... (Yeah I know, how could I!) Said friend decided to interrupt my thoughts. "Harry ... what are you doing, is ... is something worng ... with ... with your robes?" 

_The timeturner ... she cannot know about it. Think! Harry think!_ "NO! ... Erm ... I mean ... no my robes are okay ... I just wanted to smooth them!" I lied smoohting them down and looking at my hands. I had managed to dig the object up and it looked like a slightly dented half of an hourglass with just a few splinters of glass left. _Wait a minute ... an hourglass ... the timeturner ... noooooooooooo!_

I was suddenly very aware of Hermione standing before me not a foot away. So I closed my hand thightly _wince_ and looked up to see her look at me. I knew that look! Brows furrowed, chewing her lower lip, eyes narrowed in scepticism or worry ... _Even now she looks absolutely beautiful ... Huh? ... What's wrong? Was the door that hard? This is Hermione ..._ She looked ... unconvinced! I had to get her attention off to less dangerous matters. "Erm ... Hermione, why are you here? Did you want to ... talk about something?" I asked and led her over to the couch. 

I didn't expect her reaction to that one. For a fleeting moment she looked like a deer caught in the head lights before she tried not to look put out and failed spectacularly as her face took on the colour of Rons hair. I didn't think she could top that. 

"Erm ... Well ... Huh ... Er ..." Till she started to speak or more precisely not speak that is. _Hermione Granger at a loss for words??? Somebody check my lifesigns I must be hallucinating! But still ... she's kinda cute. Where are these thoughts coming from? That's not me ... right?_ "Hermione? You allright?" 

"Umm ... Yes ... Yes, I'm fine thanks Harry" she said still blushing "I wanted to tell you something ... something really important ..." 

"Well, what is it? You can tell me anything Hermione. You know that, don't you?" I tried to encourage her. It seemed to work though I wasn't absolutely sure of that as Neville chose that moment to barge in. He spotted us sitting there and stalked over to us clenching and unclenching his fists and looking altogether ... menacing. 

"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, POTTER?" he roared his fists on his hips and his face purple with fury. Neville didn't give me a chance to answer as he contiued straightaway. "I TOLD YOU HOW I'M FEELING TOWARDS HER! I TOLD YOU! WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU? GOING BEHIND MY BACK, STEALING HER AWAY FROM UNDER MY NOSE!" 

"Neville what ..." was all I managed while he drew breath readying himself for another onslaught. 

"DON'T TRY ME POTTER! DON'T TELL ME YOU DID'T DO IT I HAVE PROOF! I'VE SEEN YOU SNEAK THAT LOVE POTION INTO HER PUMPKIN JUICE!" he yelled. I was almost sure he was loud enough to be heard in Hogsmeade, but surprisingly there was no crowd assembled yet. 

"Neville what ..." I started again only to be drowned out by Hermione who had jumped up and was doing a very good imitation of a firebreathing dragon just prior to launching a particularly large spout of flames. 

"NEVILLE, SHUT UP! HARRY WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST ACCEPT THAT I LOVE HIM AND NOT YOU!" Hermione countered. _Wait ... what did she say? She ... she loves me ... ME??? ... Yippeh she loves mee too! ... Wait what did I just think? She loves me too? Doesn't that mean that I love Hermione?_ I had totally tuned them out while I was trying to understand what I had just discovered. I was in love with Hermione and what's more she was in love with me too. 

I suddenly noticed the reduced noise level and looked up to find Hermione standing in the middle of the room. Alone and ... sobbing? I got up and walked over to her, but when I tried to comfort her - hugging her always worked so far - she pushed me away and looked at me her face filled with sudden anger. 

"Don't touch me! You ... You ... You ... Argh! I don't even know what to call you! Couldn't you have stood up and just said that you don't love me back? Or at least said anything? And not just sat there watching and grinning like a maniac?" she hissed retreating towards the door. 

I was thoroughly bewildered, hadn't she just yelled for the whole school to hear that she loved me? _What's going on here?_ The next thing I registered was the sound of the door as it was slammed shut. 

_Well that's nice! Finding and losing love all in the space of - let's see - half an hour._ Suddenly the world became blurry. When everything cleared I heard footstep nearing the door and noticed that I was standing behind it.

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	3. Chapter 2: Again?

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Disclaimer:

**

* * *

The characters and locations used in this story are the property of J.K.Rowling and/or Warner Bros. The storyline is based on a challenge by 'pok' on the Portkey Forums ). This is a work of fanfiction and no money is being made with it, so please don't sue me.

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Harry Runs or The Longest Halfhour in the Life of a Teenage Wizard

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**Chapter 2 -- Again?**

The door was opened rather forcefully and I managed to get my arms up just in time to shield my face. I was still slammed into the wall behind me but at least my head wasn't hurt again. _Wait my head doesn't hurt anymore ... strange_

"Harry are you in here?" Hermione asked entering the room and looking around. 

_Hermione?? Isn't she mad at me?_ "Hermione I'm over here." I answered carefully extracting myself from behind the door. 

Upon spotting me she rushed over looking slightly worried. "Oh, sorry Harry. I didn't see you!" 

_Yeah right!_ "Don't worry I'm fine. Why are you here again?" I said withstanding the urge to get in her face and give her a pice of my mind - unfiltered. 

"A ... again? What are you talking about Harry? I've just come up from the Common Room. You told me you were going up here half an hour ago." Hermione answered seemingly confused. "Are you sure you are okay?" 

_What the blazes ..._ "You havn't been here before today? It wasn't you who smashed my face with that door half an hour ago?" I asked carefully trying to get a bit of space and almost stumbling into a pile of swords in the alcove next to me. _That was close._

"Smashed your face with the door? Oh, Harry ... come on you should sit down for a bit!" she said grabbing my arm and steering me over to the couch. 

"Hermione, I'm fine really ... stop fussing over me." I manged to turn her ministrations away. Now she started pacing around in front of me occasionally throwing me indiscernable glances. Well ... maybe her glances wouldn't have been that indiscernable had I paid attention to her and not tried to find out what exactly was going on here. 

Just when I couldn't bear her pacing anymore and drew breath to tell her to stop it and sit down, Neville barged in. 

He spotted us by the couch and advanced menacingly ... just like he did half an hour earlier ... _What's going on here? Is everything happening again?_

"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, POTTER?" he roared once more. "I TOLD YOU HOW I'M FEELING TOWARDS HER! I TOLD YOU! WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU? GOING BEHIND MY BACK, STEALING HER AWAY FROM UNDER MY NOSE!" 

I didn't even try to respond knowing that it would be useless. "WHAT'S WRONG, POTTER? NOT DENYING EVERYTHING STRAIGHT AWAY? DON'T TRY IT I HAVE PROOF! I SAW YOU SLIPPING THAT LOVE POTION INTO HER PUMKIN JUICE!" _Wait ... that's not what he said last time. Maybe I can still do something!_

"SHUT IT NEVILLE! I'VE DONE NO SUCH THING AND HERMIONE HASN'T EVEN STARTED TO TELL ME WHY SHE IS HERE! IT'S NOT MY FAULT SHE TURNED YOU DOWN" _Oops! ... Explain that one!_

Hermione was the first to breach the deafening silence that followed my outburst. "How ... how did you know I turned Neville down? You're right I didn't tell you that." she aksed haltingly looking puzzled. "And you couldn't have reached here before me had you listened in on us. I would have seen you! So ... how did you do that?" 

"I ... erm ... I ..." I chose that moment to feign unconsciousness due to head injury. (Everything is better than being caught by Hermione with an unconvincing, but sadly true, story.) 

It served to get both of them over to me in a flash. I don't know how long I played 'dead', but just as I decided to 'wake up' I felt a little dazed and found myself standing by the door hearing footsteps. 

_Oh no it's happening again!_ Learning from experience I backed away from the door right into the courtain of the alcove. Instinctively I decided to hide myself in there. No sooner had I closed the courtain than the door opened and Hermione came in. 

"Harry are you in here?" she asked. I decided not to answer and used my hiding place to view the situation from the outside. 

Hermione wandered into the center of the room looking around with her back turned to the door. "Harry?" she asked again and I decided to take my chance and flee. I didn't fancy another shouting match with Neville. But just as I was sneaking out of the door Hermione must have turned around as she called out to me. 

"Harry! What are you doing? Why don't you answer me?" I had two choices now stay or run. I chose to run, I knew what staying would result in. I was heading towards the hidden staircase to the second floor as I heard Peeves cackling from that direction. _Oh no! I am on that staircase and I'm coming up!_ Skidding to a halt I looked around for a hiding place, as I couldn't run into myself. I fleetingly considered the store cupboard and the boy's lavatory I found, but then it dawned on me that this was the exact same lavatory I had used this afternoon. 

There was only one chance. I had to get behind the statue on the other side of the staircase. Hearing myself truding up the stairs swearing at Peeves I managed to rush over to the statue and fling myself behind it just as my earlier self entered the hallway. Heaving I waited for my footsteps to retreat in the direction of the lavatory until I realized what Peeves had done this afternoon. After shadowing me to the storage cupboard teasing me with my 'colourful' attire, he had zoomed of in the direction of the statue I was hiding behind. I did the only thing possible and risking everything whisked into the hidden stairway while my other self was still sorting through Filch's supplies. 

I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes. That had been too close. One more second and I would've had to face myself! I had to get out of this. Reaching into my robes I drew out the timeturner and almost fainted for real. It was still broken and this time it hadn't made contact with the brass knob on the door to my training room. Could this be the reason for my recurring experieces? I realized that I desperately needed one thing - I needed help. 

But where to get it? Who had experience with timeturners? Hermione? No chance she wasn't in the condition to help me. I'd probably manage to get her to hex me sooner than calm her down enough to explain my problem. Professor McGonagall? Well if I managed to reach her I would've quite a lot of explaining to do, let alone face detention for the rest of the year. And then she'd probably send me to Professor Dumbledore. How should I ever manage that within half an hour? Wait a minute! Dumbledore! This staircase was leading to a corridor on the second floor. Hardly anyone knew there was another exit on the fourth floor, but the lower exit was just around the corner from Dumbledore's office. I could easily manage to reach him and with time to spare! 

So I picked myself up and started to make my way down to the second floor until ... Until I almost slipped on the stairs. This was the place where Peeves had waylaid me earlier. The whole staircase was splattered with ink. What seemed to be galleons of ink must have cascaded down the stairs leaving them slick and wet. I'd never make it down these stairs in time ... not without breaking my neck in the process. 

I climbed back to where the stairs were dry and sat down. I couldn't possibly reach Dumbledore's office in time - not whitout using this shortcut. It took at least 25 minutes to get there from the Room of Requirement and that was without any delay and running at full speed. _What can I do? I can't apparate to the headmaster's office afterall I'm not a house-elf! Wait ... a house-elf ... Dobby! That's it! I could send Dobby to Dumbledore._

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	4. Chapter 3: Problems

**

Disclaimer:

**

* * *

The characters and locations used in this story are the property of J.K.Rowling and/or Warner Bros. The storyline is based on a challenge by 'pok' on the Portkey Forums ). This is a work of fanfiction and no money is being made with it, so please don't sue me.

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**

Harry Runs or The Longest Halfhour in the Life of a Teenage Wizard

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**Chapter 3 -- Problems**

"Dobby, could you help me please!" I called softly and within a minute the was a crack and Dobby appeared out of thin air. 

"Harry Potter is calling Dobby, sir! How is Dobby helping Harry Potter, sir?" Dobby inquired beaming at me. 

"Dobby I need you to take this to Professor Dumbledore and ..." I began to explain my problem to Dobby and handed him the broken time turner. "... and hurry I've only got ten minutes left!" I finished. 

"Dobby is hurrying to help Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby said before vanishing with a crack. 

I waited for what seemed to be an eternity, but couldn't have been more than nine minutes. Then, when my time was almost up Dobby reappeared looking sorry. 

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter, sir. But Professor Dumbledore is saying as Harry Potter has to come to him himself. He says to give this back to Harry Potter and to tell Harry Potter that the password is being 'Hershy Bar'." he said handing me back the timeturner which was still broken. Just then everything went blurry again and I found myself back in the Room of Requirement. 

I had to get to Dumbledore so first of all I had to get out of here! Therefore I quickly slipped into the alcove. Hermione entered and wandered to the center of the room looking for me. This time I started earlier and managed to get out of the room without her noticing. I ran off towards the stairs at full speed. This way would take me close to the library and was part of the shortest - but not quietest - path from the Griffindor Common Room to the Room of Requirement. I noticed that particular fact when I tried to haul myself around a corner at the bottom of the first staircase. On the other side of that corner and moving towards me at high speed was Neville. As neither one of us saw the other we just slammed into eachother with full force. 

I was thrown backward across the corridor by the impact and so was Neville. We looked at each other and Neville was about to start shouting at me when I saw Mrs. Norris wander towards us Filch following closely behind her. Neville must have noticed my horrorified expression because he didn't shout. He just turned around and watched Filch's approach. 

"Running in the Hallways, are you?" the caretaker asked leering. "That's gonna be detention for you. Come along boy's to my office ... now!" We had no choice but to follow him. Needless to say that I didn't manage to get to Dumbledore's office this time. 

On my next try I approached the corner with more care, but I was too slow. Neville turned the corner before I had time to react and spotted me. I tried to doge him but he was too close. Now I had to face Neville and reason with him. It didn't help matters that my ears were ringing from his initial outburst. Actually, I was quite relieved when Filch showed up ... at least until he insisted that I had to come to his office as well. 

The next time I managed to dodge Neville and was now headed towards the moving stairs. Unfortunately the staircase I needed to take decided to move at this moment. And again I was left with two choices, wait for it and face Neville who was mad with jealousy or jump before the stairs were out of reach. 

I knew what was waiting behind me but I couldn't jump I had tarried just a moment too long. As I wasn't keen on falling down the stairwell I turned round and charged back towards Neville. This move took him completely by surprise and as he slowed down I managed to send him stumbling into a suit of armour. The resulting crash also took care of Filch whose attention was now solely focused on Neville. 

When I reached the bottom of the stairs to the seventh floor I spied Hermione at the top. Unfourtunately she saw me too and began to rush towards me. 

"Harry! Harry, wait! I need to talk to you!" _Sorry, but ... not now I need a break!_ So I turned around and headed towards the library. 

Luckily Madame Pince was busy so I could slip in and rush over to the invisibility section. When Hermione entered I hid myself in there. But I should've remembered that the library was her realm. She managed to search the room within minutes never giving me a chance to slip out unnoticed. Soon the only section she hadn't searched was the one I was hiding in. So it was either talk to her or use the time she needed to cross over here to try and get into the next row. Then get to the other end of that row to reenter the invisibility section when she left it on the other side. 

I wasn't keen on talking to her as I didn't know how to explain my evasiveness so I chose to take my chances in the next row. Everything went fine but I stumbled over large tome on locking spells that was sticking out from the lowest shelf. I grabbed the book and hid myself just in time. After another five minutes Hermione gave up and I could get to a table and sit down. As Madame Pince was back at her Desk I figured it would be wise to pretend to study. That way I wouldn't draw any unwanted attention. 

Thinking about my progress so far I didn't pay any attention to the contents of the page in front of me. If I managed to jump the stairs next time I should be safe from Neville and Filch. The fastest route from there on would lead me past the transfiguration classroom. Unfourtunately my watch told me that I would have to pass through that corridor between classes. That would probably mean dodging McGonagall on the way. I could really use more time to think this through. Sighing I looked down at the book for the first time. 

The spell described was a locking charm that was easily performed but very resistant. I remembered it from charms because even Hermione had problems to break it. _Hey ... that's it! With this spell I can lock the door and stop Hermione from entering. Together with a silencing charm this should get me the time I need to think. Maybe I'll even find something useful in the books up there._

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**AN:** That's all the finished chapters ... more to come ... and **please** review.

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